The Guide: 3 Simple Steps to Writing Perfect Stand By Me FanFiction
by BoatsAgainstTheCurrent
Summary: Two guides to two separate routes of writing. Just three easy-to-follow, simple steps in each guide! Wishing you the best of luck with your future works!


**A.N.: Hello dear readers. This story was first supposed to be a complete parody about clichés, but I decided to add more to it. I have created a guide on how to write original stories, compared to a guide on how to perfectly master Stand By Me clichés. I hope you enjoy and please review. **

_**How To Write Original Stand By Me Stories**_

_Intro: Are you an aspiring Stand By Me author, looking for a way to stand out in the community? Are you all out of original ideas and you don't know where to turn to? Look no further! This guide is here to aid you with an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process that will get you up and running in no time at all! Best of luck!_

_**Step 1: Choosing a Genre **_

_Most authors now-a-days tend to go for a small circle of genres. These usually include romance and drama, or hurt/comfort and adventure. But there is so much more to choose from! Why not step out of your comfort zone and write a sci-fi or crime? What about humor or a parody? There are plenty of areas to explore and they will offer a whole new side of the Stand By Me world to your readers._

_Tip: If you are not yet comfortable picking an unusual genre, it is okay to use a typical genre. But, be warned! If you are going to use romance, do not use a pairing that is too often written for. For example, steer clear of the Chris/OC! Try something different, something completely unheard of! Go for Gordie and Vern, or Vern and Eyeball, or Milo and Gordie's mother! There are so many options, get creative. _

_**Step 2: Selecting Your Main Characters**_

_Characters are a major part of a story, and it is important to choose wisely when aiming for a creative and original story. Authors usually grab at Chris right away because of how attractive he is (authors love a good Chris/OC especially), but again, there are so many other characters out there. Some other people that are used often include Ace and his fellow Cobras as well as Gordie and Teddy. Why not range away from these common choices? Stand By Me has an abundance of minor characters, and even poor Vern is often left out. A few possible characters that you may want to consider include Milo Pressman, Tupper Babe, Jane, Denny, Gordie's parents, Chris' parents, Lardass Hogan, even Connie Palermo or Bob Cormier. Once you dig deeper into the movie, you can find so many other characters that have potential to create a great story for you._

_**Step 3: Creating The Plot and Avoiding Clichés **_

_It's easy. Keep away from the big three!_

_The Big Three Clichés: _

**New Girl in Town**- _A girl, usually a complete tom boy, or also possibly a complete girly girl, moves to Castle Rock. Often times, she despises the little town at first because of how small and worn-down it looks (the girl is most likely from a much bigger city). Eventually, she opens up to the town and becomes best friends with our beloved gang, Chris, Gordie, Teddy, and Vern. _

**Chris/OC love story**- _This is usually in connection to the new girl in town. The love interest is basically either the gangs long time best friend, new girl in town, sibling of one of the boys, or a rich girl from up on the view. Occasionally, she is a girl that at first despises the boys, but soon grows to love them, and then falls in love with Chris. _

**Recreating the search for Ray Brower- **_Warning: Again, this is often in relation to the Chris/OC love story and new girl in town. In general, stories like this go through the exact same process as the movie (only with a girl tagging along). _

_These three clichés are to be avoided at all times if you wish to create a successful original Stand By Me story. But there are also other minuscule clichés that should be avoided as well. Given they are small clichés, they can be difficult to notice, so it is important to note what forms they may come in and some examples of them. A small cliche often comes in the form of a description of the characters or how they may behave. For example, these are some to look out for:_

_-Tomboy girl OCs _

_-Vern being described as chubby, only eating PEZ, and being a scaredy-cat_

_-Gordie being described as doe-eyed_

_-Chris wearing white shirts and slightly ripped blue jeans only_

_-Whether or not the story is about the boys or the Cobras, Chris is always the first one a girl OC meets (she usually ends up bumping into him in downtown Castle Rock) _

_Watch out for those sneaky clichés!_

_Now that you have learned to avoid clichés, you can truly decide on your plot! Here, you are free to imagine! Think of anything! The world is your oyster! The sky is the limit! Use the genre you chose to get you going. Maybe you want to write a humorous story about Vern and his family, maybe you want to write about the boys traveling the world in their own personal private jet. Who knows what you could come up with? The possibilities are endless!_

_**Remember! Practice caution!** Steer clear of the Chris/OC! It is a dangerous and highly addictive story idea. Most of us have been seriously affected, and sure, we can't really be blamed. Chris is just so damn attractive! Though it may be difficult, if you really want to make a serious effort to write original stories, you must find the strength to push the Chris/OC aside. Go for Chris/Gordie instead! _

_Those were the three simple steps to creating your one-of-a-kind Stand By Me story! If you are someone who doesn't really feel like taking the original route, just look below for the guide on how to write the perfect cliche! Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck on your original writing adventures!_

_... If you're not one for original ideas... _

_**A** **Small Guide To Writing** **The Perfect Stand By Me Cliche**_

_Intro: So I see originality isn't for you. That's okay, I can relate. Here is a guide to help you write the perfect Stand By Me cliche. Do enjoy and good luck on your future works!_

_**Step 1: Choosing Your Genre**_

_Basically, you are restricted to these options:_

_Romance (#1 choice)- Chris/OC or Ace/OC (If you want to be as cliche as possible, stick with the Chris/OC)_

_Drama_

_Friendship_

_Hurt/Comfort_

_Adventure_

_**Step 2: Choosing Your Characters**_

_Let's face it:_

_Chris_

_OC_

_Ace_

_**Step** **3: The Plot**_

_Here are your options:_

_One, or all, of the big three clichés. (New Girl, Chris/OC, recreating search for Ray Brower)_

_Thank you for reading "How To Write Original Stand By Me Stories" or "A Small Guide on How to Write the Perfect Stand By Me Cliche" (depending on which situation you're in). I hope you have found them useful and, again, best of luck on your future writing! _


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